Wide belt and fastener therefor



F. 12. BATCH'E LD ER. WIDE-BELT AND FASTENER- THEREFOR; APPLICATION HLED NOV.17,19I9- Patnted Dec. 6, 1921.

iii}, :illiu UNITED STATES Pars FRANK It. BATCHELDER, OFWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNOR TO MILLS BELT COMPANY, OF WUBGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COBPURATION 01E MASSACHU- SETTS.

WIDE BELT AND FASTENER THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed November 17. 1919. SerialNo. 338,688.

To all w hem may concern Be it known that LFRANK R. BATCI-IELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Wide Belt and Fastener There for, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to belts of greater width than the average, for example, a belt 6 inches wide used for carry- 1 ing the magazines foran automatic rifle.

This belt as heretofore manufactured is composed of two carrier sections with a clasp in front, of thestandard type employed in the United States Army, and this clasp or fastoner is slightly longer than the belt is wide. The two parts of the fastener, male and female, are of metal, rigid and straight. They constitute the means for holding the flexible textile belt in shape from the top to the bottom at the ends so that whatever motions the wearer makes, he willnot crush down the top or bottom edges of the belt and get it out of shape.

When the belt is in use this clasp or fastener is in position directly in front of the wearers abdomen, where it is productive of more or less discomfort. The soldier in the field must frequently move forward in a crouching position and when bending over, this rigid, metal clasp more than 6 inches in length in its normal position is a serious disadvantage. 9

My improvement consists in the employment of a short clasp or fastener, of the same type as the longer one, which is attached to the carrier sections midway of their width, and in the combination with a clasp or fastener so attached of a flexible reinforcing means situated back of the fastener member which gives sufficient rigidity to the end of the carrier section and is capable of bending when the soldier assumes a more or less stooping posture.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the central front portion of the two front carrier sections of a magazine belt constructed in ac cordance with this invention, and

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary view of a part of the same broken away and showing the,

seams.

The invention is shown as applied to a very Wide bolt 10 of woven fiiflile mat r al supporting magazine pockets or cases 11 as is well understood in this art. The woven material of which the belt is formed is heavy and strong but it is not sufliciently rigid to retain its original shape under the condit1ons existing in the use of this class of belt. The belt itself is often six inches wide and the wearer has to stoop over at times. The result of this ordinarily would be the bending down of the two corners 12 at the top of the belt and also in some cases the rumpling of the lower corners. This has been avoided in practice, as stated above, by the use of a metallic clasp or fastener extending in a single piece entirely from the bottom to the top of the front edge of each of the belt halves, but although this accomplishes that purpose, it restricts the motions of the wearer unduly and causes discomfort as it is about seven inches long.

In order to avoid these difliculties 1 provide textile loop 13, preferably at thecenter of the belt, and secure in it a metallic fastener or clasp member 14:. This, like the ordinary fastener, is cast or formed in one piece and has a central projection 15 for engagement in a loop 16 formed on the other half 17 of the fastener or clasp. This furnishes a connection that permits of considerable flexibility, forthe two clasp members are capable of a relative turning motion on a central horizontal'axis. The two halves are secured to the ends of the two carrier sections of the belt in the same way. This obviously does away with the discomfort of the wearer, due to the projection of the fastener above the top of the belt and allows him a freedom of movement not possible with the old style, because the flexible belt extends beyondthe fastener at the top and bottom and prevents its causing discomfort.

I combine with this clasp or fastener a stiffening device shown in the form of a piece of artificial whale-bone or whalon 20 extending preferably from the bottom to the top of the belt in a single length at a short distance from and parallel with the edge. It is shown as located in a space between the front and rear plies of the belt, confined by a row of stitches 21 on the front side by which the loop 13 is also secured in position between the two plies and confined on the rear by a line of stitching 22 by lplliich the magazine pocket is secured to the From what has been said, it will be seen that by the construction herein shown and described, I have preserved all the. advantages of the old form of belt and clasp or fastener referred to above and in addition thereto, have done away with the discomfastener, located at the center of the belt end and the combination with it of a flexible stiffener located all along the end of the belt adjacentto said fastener, I have'provided a flexible projection both above and below the rigid-ends of the metal clasp or fastener. This will hold the belt in shape and prevent its getting into a crumpled condition, and yet will allow the wearer to bend in any desired way without discomfort. I have done away with the restrictions on the movements of the wearer incident to the use of the old typeof clasp or fastener and yet provided for keeping the belt in proper condition.

By the use of the stiffener, I am enabled to shorten the clasp or fastener so much that it will not in any way restrict the motions of the wearer or cause his discomfort and I also increase economy in manufacture as the fastener is cast from brass and, on account of its long slender shape, the percentage of imperfect ones'has been very high. The

quantity of brass is also reduced and the short clasp or fastener can be connected and disconnected more easily than the ordinary longone.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein without departing fromthe scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited in these respects, but what I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a flexible woven cartridge belt having a straightvertical end provided with a materially shor'ter centrally located stiff clasp or fastener member constituting an attaclmient therefrom to the other end of the belt and located in a space between the two ends of the belt but close to them, said belt projecting materially beyond the fastener both at the top and bottom and having secured thereto a resilient fiex-ible strip materially stiller than the belt itself, but capable of yielding to the motions of the wearer, and extending beyond the top and bottom of the fastener to hold the belt in shape and guard the ends of the stiff fastener so as to prevent it from restricting the bending of his body.

2. The combination of a belt section of flexible material having two vertical ends spaced materially apart in front and each provided with a short vertical loop projecting into said space, with a. metallic clasp or fastener member mounted in each loop, located'wholly in said space, and extending throughout only a portion of the height of said belt end, and having means for connecting the two ends so as to be capable of a relative turning motion on a horizontal axis, said belt projecting materially above the fastener, the. space between said ends being free and unobstructed except by said fastener located therein. and resilient means materially stiffer than the belt itself extending from the top to the bottom of the belt near each end to keep in shape the upper corner of the belt that extends beyond the metallic fastener but yielding enough to allow the wearer to bend. without causing discomfort;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK R. BATCHELDER.

Witnesses Anion M. T1snALn, A. LORETTA Mx'rrnronn. 

